{"id":83816,"date":"2021-09-24T18:40:51","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T18:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=83816"},"modified":"2021-09-29T11:55:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29T11:55:56","slug":"lazars-mailbag-pressure-is-on-pats-offensive-coordinator-josh-mcdaniels-to-awaken-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/lazars-mailbag-pressure-is-on-pats-offensive-coordinator-josh-mcdaniels-to-awaken-offense\/","title":{"rendered":"Lazar’s Mailbag: Pressure is on Pats Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels to Awaken Offense"},"content":{"rendered":"

To nobody\u2019s surprise, the Patriots\u2019 new-look offense is a work in progress early in the season.<\/span><\/p>\n

New England is breaking in its rookie quarterback, integrating four new pass-catchers into the offense, and trying to get healthy on an offensive line that had some turnover as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With that said, in both the short and long-term, awakening from an offensive slump that began mid-way through the 2019 season falls on Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since Week 11 of the 2019 season, their last 25 games, with three different quarterbacks, including Tom Brady for the final eight games in 2019, the Patriots are averaging just 20.7 points per game, which is 27th in the NFL over that span.<\/p>\n

So before you yell at me for being impatient, these trends we are about to discuss span across three seasons and really began at the tail end of 2018. This is not a two-game sample size.<\/p>\n

During his press conference on Thursday, we asked tight end Jonnu Smith if McDaniels seeks his input on how he’s utilized in the game plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a funny question because I would say I\u2019m not coming in here trying to change the offense. This isn’t my offense,\u201d Smith told CLNS Media. \u201cThese guys had so much success doing what they do. I let [McDaniels] be the OC. I trust him to put this team in positions to make plays.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Asked a similar question, Nelson Agholor added, \u201cyou are talking about a very, very, very special coach [in McDaniels]. I think he watches what I do well and tries to communicate with me about how he sees things unraveling on tape. But he doesn\u2019t need to ask me. That\u2019s a very intelligent man who has been doing this for a long time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on the answers from the Patriots\u2019 new top weapons, it\u2019s on McDaniels to get the offense moving in the right direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pats\u2019 OC is a good offensive architect. His system makes schematic sense and is fundamentally sound, with a clear goal for every play based on what the offense is trying to accomplish and the opponent. One can see the method to the madness on film.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, the Pats\u2019 offensive play-caller no longer has the excuses he did last season for an anemic offensive attack, including at quarterback where Jones is a better stylistic fit than Cam Newton.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

McDaniels\u2019s top receiving options are no longer Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers. He now has four free-agent pass-catchers who produced at their last stops in productive offenses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Agholor is coming off a season where he had 896 receiving yards and eight touchdowns for the Raiders. In Tennessee, Smith had nine total touchdowns as a premier red-zone threat, Hunter Henry had 60 grabs for 613 yards in LA, and Kendrick Bourne had 667 receiving yards as a core piece of the 49ers\u2019 wide receiver corps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those four are here because they produced last season and were identified as scheme fits in McDaniels\u2019s offense. Are any of the prime Randy Moss? No. But they are legit NFL receivers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The league\u2019s best offenses utilize motion, misdirection, pace, and play-action as tools for the offensive play-caller to get his playmakers into advantageous situations; in today\u2019s NFL, stagnant offenses that rely heavily on traditional drop-back passing and running games are bad offenses.<\/p>\n

In the first two weeks of the season, the Pats are 24th in pre-snap motion frequency (44%), 21st in offensive pace, have only called two run-pass options despite Jones\u2019s tremendous success with those in college, and are only using play-action on 27.4% of their drop-backs (17th). It\u2019s vanilla.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, McDaniels is bucking another hot trend as one of the league’s least aggressive early-down play-callers. As most of the NFL’s top offenses are attacking downfield on first and second down, the Pats are 27th in pass frequency on early downs since 2019.<\/p>\n

And if you buy into the \u201cfirst four games of the season are extended preseason,\u201d then running your basic plays to get everyone familiar with those calls as you would in August makes sense.<\/span><\/p>\n

But make no mistake about it, McDaniels\u2019s coaching chops are in the spotlight, and eventually, the Patriots will need to turn up the creativity and aggressiveness on offense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s empty the mailbag ahead of the Patriots matchup with the Saints in Week 3:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Which component of the Pats' play has surprised you the most thus far? Whether positively or negatively.<\/p>\n

— Shadi C. (@ShadiChams97) September 23, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n